Giada de Laurentiis Made a Prosciutto-Wrapped Turkey for Thanksgiving and Now I’m Reconsidering My Entire Menu
With Thanksgiving coming up next week, you’re probably already all set when it comes to your menu. (Hopefully some of those dishes that you have lined up came from this year’s Thanksgiving Food Fest!) If you’re still trying to put together a feast that will be talked about for years, though, don’t worry: Giada de Laurentiis might have exactly what you’re looking for with her curated Thanksgiving menu.
Releasing the spread through her blog Giadzy, the famed chef’s options include two appetizers, eight sides, and a showstopping turkey that only Giada could come up with. And yes, she has desserts too.
“Last year, Thanksgiving was all about counting our blessings and making the most out of a less-than-ideal time in the world,” Giada said of the the “Together Agaiin” menu breakdown. “Since we’ll all be together again this year for thanksgiving, I needed a grand menu to commemorate this extra special Thanksgiving — so behold, my Thanksgiving menu for 2021. Buon Appetito!”
To kick things off, Giada went with an antipasti platter, which includes a mix of in-season goodies like figs, deep-purple grapes, and fresh herbs. Multiple cheeses, nuts, olives, and even jams can be added to this, too. Her apple gorgonzola crostata was also an option for starters and should be served at room temperature for the best bite.
Sides like a Brussels sprouts, kale, and pomegranate salad; cheesy baked mashed potatoes with peas, buttermilk cornbread, and ciabatta and chestnut stuffing with pancetta along with other delicious options were then listed before the main star of the show: a prosciutto-wrapped turkey. “This turkey is completely covered in thin sheets of prosciutto,” she wrote. “It’s every bit as delicious as it sounds, and never fails to elicit oohs and ahhs from everyone who sees it!”
The recipe, which originally appeared on Giada’s Holiday Handbook, requires seasonings like salt, red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, rosemary, and celery, and also calls for both maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. Yum. If you do plan to make this turkey for your big day, however, you’ll want to know that you’ll need to begin prepping it at least 24 to 48 hours in advance.
While the turkey is enough to make your mouth water, Giada couldn’t end the menu without including two deliciously seasonal sweet treats: a chocolate almond cheesecake, and pumpkin ricotta cookies. How divine!
If this particular menu doesn’t quite pique your interest for this holiday season, you could always create your own lineup by pulling a few recipes from Giada’s three best cookbooks instead.